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Remission vs. Cure in Cancer: What’s the Difference?
By Raveena M Prakash
A cancer diagnosis is one of the life-changing moments of a person’s life. It's a highly triggering diagnosis, which is quite tough to handle for any normal person. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, there are two significant words that come up in a conversation with a cancer specialist: that is ‘cure’ and ‘remission’! While both of these terms bring a sense of hope and calmness in a patient's mind, they both mean different things in medical science.
In this blog, we’ll discover more about what is remission and cure, and why this distinction matters in cancer treatment, and how recurrent cancer can go back to remission!
What does remission mean in cancer?
Remission in cancer patients often refers to the signs and symptoms of cancer that have reduced significantly or have disappeared completely for a month in a patient. According to many studies, remission may not indicate that you are free from cancer or cured, but it can last for a month, a year, or the rest of your life.
It's an important milestone for your treatment that is worth celebrating. Keep in mind that being in remission is not the same as being declared as cancer-free!
Here are three different types of remission:
- Partial remission: According to studies, partial remission includes a 50% reduction in the measurable tumor and cancer cells.
- Complete remission: All detectable evidence of cancer is completely gone.
- Spontaneous remission: Cancer enters remission without any major surgery that’s adequate to lead to remission. This happens in rare cases, usually after any fever or infection.
What does cure mean in cancer treatments?
A cure for cancer often means that the cancer has been treated successfully. There is no trace of cancer in the body with no chance of cancer coming back. The challenging part of cancer is that it's a complex and unpredictable disease.
A healthcare practitioner is often concerned while using the word ‘cure,’ because it often means that all signs of cancer are completely cleared. There is no guarantee it won’t come later. In some cases, it can appear after some years of remission.
In most cases, a healthcare professional will claim a patient claims, ‘cured’, if:
- The cancer patients have been in complete remission for 5 years or more, and
- There are no signs of recurrence of cancer
In some cases, such as testicular cancer or childhood leukemias have high rates of cure generally. While other types of cancer are more prone to recur after being in a long time of remission.
Why does the distinction matter in cancer treatments?
Understanding the difference between remission and cure is important for a few reasons. A cure in cancer treatments means that there are no traces of cancer and the cancer will never come back after the treatments. While remission means that it can be partial or complete. A complete remission indicates that all signs and symptoms of cancer have reduced.
For example: if the patient remains in remission for 5 years or more, some healthcare providers say that you are cured from cancer. However, there are some cancer cells that remain in the patient’s body for many years even after treatment. These cancer cells might relapse after some time, so it is best to be aware of the risk factors for second cancers and try to maintain a good follow-up even after claims are cured from cancer.
Understanding the difference between remission and cure is important for a few other reasons.
These may include:
- Emotional expectations: If you are being told that you have reached a remission phase, then it comes with the need for ongoing treatment and monitoring. Try not to think of remission as a cure; it leads to a false hope, and don’t take decisions about stopping the follow-up care.
- Treatment planning: While in a remission phase, patients need to continue some of the cancer therapies to prevent the risk of cancer recurrence. Understanding the current status of your disease can often shape the long-term treatment strategies.
- Life planning: Whether you are planning for a family, career decisions, or financial planning, understanding if you have reached remission or been cured can often influence any major life choices.
Life after Cure from cancer vs. Remission?
If the patient reaches a remission state or is cured, life after cancer involves physical, emotional, and mental space of a patient. The patient needs to plan their after cure from cancer vs. remission effectively.
These may include:
- Regular scans and blood tests
- Lifestyle changes
- Mental health support
- Monitoring the response from treatments
A cancer healing journey doesn’t end after getting the last treatment or being declared cured from cancer. It simply indicates a new chapter in your life, one with more attention and care towards your health, with a lot of positivity and hope.
Does recurrent cancer go back to the remission phase?
In some cases, patients go through remission and recurrence phases. In some patients, the cancer often comes back after they have been in the remissive phase. The majority of healthcare practitioners might try the same or different treatments on a patient. The major goal is keeping the cancer back in its remission phase.
Consult Today
"Remission" and "cure" are used interchangeably in cancer treatment in everyday conversations, but they hold different meanings in cancer treatments. Both of these words are considered different, but with different medical implications for the medicines.
At Oncare, we offer premium-quality cancer treatments, including advanced cancer treatments, at affordable price ranges with an experienced cancer specialist consultation.
If you or any loved ones of yours are diagnosed with cancer, then visit Oncare Cancer Center and book an appointment with our cancer specialist. Get an estimated cost of your cancer treatments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the types of treatments used for cancer cure.
These may include:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Bone marrow transplant
- Immunotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Targeted therapy
- Cryoablation
- Radiofrequency ablation
The cancer can often remain in remission for months and years. The times of remission can vary, which mainly depends on factors like the type of cancer, and its stage, and how the cancer responded to initial cancer treatment.
In some cases, many people can go through cycles of remission and recurrence. When the cancer comes back to patients after treatments, healthcare practitioners can try different types of treatments with the goal of the cancer going back into its remission state.
Cancer treatments generally cause some side effects and complications. However, the side effects can mainly depend on the type of cancer treatments the patients are receiving. Ask your healthcare team about the side effects the treatments can cause to the patients. That helps to prepare and control the complications of treatments.
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